Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Masch wouldn't have played 200+ games for Barcelona if he wasn't a top class player.

I can see why you’d compare Mascherano to Kante, but I don’t think there’s one midfielder in the world right now that’s an exact replica. Not saying that Masch was the best of his generation or anything silly like that, but he was just a bit unique IMO. Not much pace, not a great passer, his tackling technique was even a little bit rough if we’re being completely honest, but if you take him out of the team, you’d notice him missing instantly.

He was sensational, but I can’t really pin down any one quality of his that made him so. Super intelligent footballer though, and that’s why he was able to play at centre back for Barca at a world class level.

Klopp would have loved Rush and he would have been the first name on the team sheet.

I didn't say their roles were different, I said they're different players in different times. In a Rafa team, Masch's role was somewhat similar to Fabs, as a defensive screen.

But in the modern game, and particularly in a Klopp team, his attributes at his peak would see him as more of a box to box presser and harrier, along with a dedicated DM to hang back. So fast, so smart, so aggressive, and a brilliant tackler and all round leader. Wasn't the best long range passer in the world, but wasn't at all as bad as you make out either - and if you've Fab just behind you, Thiago to your left, Trent to your right, and Mo in space just up ahead, you don't need to be. His role in a modern team would be to dominate space off the ball, win it back, and primarily cycle it to better passers (though again, his ball playing is better than you say). He'd be invaluable in the opposition half of the pitch in the modern game, in a way that just wasn't done in a Rafa team.

Milner signed a new 1 year deal and reduced terms turning down big offers from England and abroad.

Klopp would have also loved Aldo

Joyce also reporting Liverpool are interested in Nunez.

Well your memory of him is different than mine. But I don't think Klopp would want a midfield player who contributed nothing going forward.

The way we play he is in Fabinhos position. Not a chance he plays further up. He had nothing creative about him. Barcelona seen this and planted him in central defence..

Anyhow, opinions are football. Respect yours just don't agree.

Really think you're not giving him anywhere near enough credit in the passing/playmaking department. In a hard working Klopp midfield, he'd be an absolute monster in that Hendo role. And I think Barca put him back at CB because a hugely tactically aware guy who was also a deep playmaker was more important to how they played than a traditional CB. He was pushed up so much for them with all the possession they had that he was effectively playing as a midfielder anyway, with the pace to cover opposition players on the break running into space.

this is the sort of thing Masch had in his locker.

To be fair this is Munich a club that is so used to taking talent for other German clubs and getting it's own way it probably doesn't actually know how to negotiate with clubs outside of Germany.

I was literally gonna post something similar myself. Mascherano was a faaaar better passer of the ball than he ever got credit for, I put it down to being in the same midfield as Gerrard and Alonso who obviously always got all the credit in that regard but Mascherano was a fine passer of the ball both short and long at times. He was in the same tier as a midfielder as those two tho imo.

Milner is more of a cheerleader than a player these days, he's a big voice in the undressing room, it's important to keep him around the place.

21m or keep Mane for another year

Hell, even 40m or keep him for another year?

This transfer has to work for the club to an extent even if we don't wanna stand in his way.

I mean, obviously opinions are often objectively wrong... literally nearly every time someone throws out an opinion about a subject they're not entirely informed on (which is pretty bloody often i think we can all agree), they turn out to in fact be completely objectively wrong.

Sure I'd say half the reason a place like boards soccer is popular is because the level of discourse is better informed than people might find in the pub or wherever.

You seem to have forgotten a lot of what Mascherano added to his teams. Fair enough.

(also you mentioned his stats... his passing stats were always really high, like usually high 80s or 90s percentage, so im not sure why you bring that up... and here's a nice one, 99 premier league appearances, 680 accurate long balls.)

To be fair, there are subjects that are more complicated and nuanced, where there can be two contrasting broad opinions that each have arguable subjective merit (like, who's the best ever player - two people can offer viable alternatives and neither be definitively wrong). But on every single subject imaginable there are also specific opinions that are simply, unequivocally, and provably wrong (like someone putting Djimi Traore forward as the best ever player, for instance).

To use your example, two people can argue broadly that some crimes should or shouldn't carry a death penalty and it's hard to declare that either is 'correct' when it's kept that broad. But, for instance, someone stating specifically that in their opinion the death penalty is a crime deterrent is simply factually wrong. It's an opinion without merit, that they're backing up by their own 'feeling' rather than by any credible facts.

In this case, I would say the fact that Mascherano made more accurate long passes per match than Trent is reasonable proof that he was at least a decent passer. It's not proof enough to say he was better at it than Trent by any means (he wasn't), but it's enough to I think convincingly argue that he wasn't actively bad at it, as was stated.

(edit - this is one of those conversations that really shows up how bored I get with Boards being 8 hours off my time zone when I'm trying to procrastinate 😅 )

You're right. This conversation is a weird one but I was wondering why you were posting so late, that explains it.

Top 5 lists are ridiculous for Liverpool with the players we've seen at this stage, I mean the fact Rush doesn't even get a mention above sums it up.

Pulisic and Nunez would be some summer business.

With Milner's 1 year extension I could see him doing his badges (if not done already) and joining the backroom team next year.

The call next year will be to keep Elliot with the squad or send him on loan. Same with the new kid.

Will Joe Gomez be happy to stay and be 4th choice CB and second choice RB or does he leave to be a starter.

I don't mind Mane leaving but it will be annoying if he leaves under a cloud of sxxthousery between Bayern putting in repeated low ball offers and him giving repeated mixed messages in his interviews.

I can't see us letting both Mane and Salah go this year so I think the club will take money for Mane and let Salah run down his contract.

That would leave us with Diaz-Jota-Salah front 3. Bobby on the bench. Talk was that Diaz was going to be the summer signing but we had to act faster due to Spurs interest so I wonder was he already lined up as Mane's replacement.

The Egypt manager has said Salah played injured yesterday and refused Liverpool’s request to have an X-Ray on the injury before the game.

I'd we're looking at PL players to replace Salah then it needs to be Bowen or Raphina. For Mane it'd have to be Saka or Werner if he was available on a cut price deal.

I think the hardest player/s to replace will be Origi & Minamino if he leaves.

The club will find it very hard to find two goal scoring forwards that are happy to be squad players who will mostly only play cup games.

Ox will leave in the summer I think Carvalho is already his replacement.

If we learned anything from the last couple of seasons is that we need to keep the squad depth of quality players.

Think they missed a zero in that offer.

I think Mane leaving suits all parties. He wants a final big payday but unfortunately for us he's the wrong side of 30. Hopefully we get a lot more than £25m for him, because that sort of money in today's market is useless to us in replacing him.

Mo should be flying next season at least. No tournament this summer, so beyond the couple of internationals the club are in control of when/how much he plays in preseason, and with Egypt not in the World Cup he’ll have over a month off during the season. A fully rested and firing Mo in the second half of the season could be a huge bonus. Hood timing for it to unfold like that, as he really does need this sort of a break

A loan move or two would seem to suit everyone anyway... for good young keepers especially, decent loan moves are the way to go for rising the divisions quickly, so the eventual transfer is to a level you're happy. Transfer too soon to a Championship club or something, and you may end up stuck there for years.